Will Schmidt of Laguna Niguel paddles his board just south of the Huntington Beach Pier early Wednesday. Schmidt is paddling his way from the Canadian border to Mexico to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Virginia Mumford of Huntington Beach gets her photo taken with Will Schmidt on Wednesday. Mumford has been tracking Schmidt's progress on his 1,400-mile journey.

Will Schmidt of Laguna Niguel talks about paddling his way from the Canadian border to Mexico to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project before he left from the Huntington Beach Pier on his way south.

Will Schmidt of Laguna Niguel puts on sunscreen near the Huntington Beach Pier before getting on his paddleboard Wednesday.

Will Schmidt of Laguna Niguel receives a hug from Virginia Mumford just south of the Huntington Beach Pier early Wednesday morning before getting on his paddleboard and heading south. Mumford has followed Schmidt's journey paddling from the Canadian border to Mexico to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Will Schmidt of Laguna Niguel carries his paddleboard to the water just south of the Huntington Beach Pier early Wednesday.

Orange County paddler Will Schmidt finished a 1,400-mile paddle from Canada to the Mexico border on Saturday afternoon, surrounded by supporters who have followed his journey from the start.

The 34-year-old from Laguna Niguel started his adventure May 29 as a way to raise money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. It took him 58 days, with only four down days because conditions were too rough.

“It is still so very surreal to me that this trip is complete,” he said. “I am elated that I accomplished so much but sad that my reality is becoming a memory.”

Before reaching the Mexican border fence at Imperial Beach, Schmidt made a pit stop in Orange County last week to talk about his journey, describing it as both the most amazing and most dreadful experience of his life.

“It’s been every high and every low you can possibly think of,” Schmidt said.

In addition to raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project, a group that helps injured military service members, he also hoped the paddling would do what it usually does – ease his own depression.

His short stint in Orange County was a refreshing break for a paddler who has navigated chilly, choppy waters in Washington, come in close contact with many forms of ocean wildlife and slept in dark sea caves along the coast.

Schmidt’s arrival was met with a warm welcome in Dana Point, where friends and strangers who have been captivated by his story turned out at Baby Beach to conduct a fundraiser and show their support.

Some friends and family even boarded a boat in Newport Beach to spend a day cruising alongside Schmidt as he made his way across familiar waters. Newport lifeguards sprayed water from two of their vessels to mark his arrival.

Schmidt took up stand-up paddling after his mother, Peggy Schmidt, urged him to get in the water on a day she knew her son was overwhelmed by depression, an ailment he has suffered for years. Paddling, he soon realized, helped ease his emotional pain.

Soon, he started taking on longer paddles, first from Catalina to Dana Point, then, last year, a 220-mile trip in which he touched down on five Channel Islands. His long paddle journeys are done as fundraisers.

In May, Schmidt flew to Washington and made his way to the Canadian border. It took him nearly a month to make his way out of the region’s notoriously rough waters. At one point he was plucked from the ocean by the U.S. Coast Guard, which was nearby rescuing people from a capsized boat.

“I had a couple days I thought I was going to die,” Schmidt said, laughing.

Along the way, he’s met strangers who have opened their doors to offer him a fresh bed. He’s met people at remote campsites who’ve shared their fire. He’s had more boaters than he can count offer him beer.

He’s paddled in pouring rain; through schools of jellyfish.

His mom and grandmother flew from Indiana to meet him in Northern California, and they’ve tracked him along the way ever since.

The worst day, he said, was about three weeks ago, near Bodega Bay. Though his GPS device told him a small-craft advisory was in effect, the weather seemed fine so Schmidt headed out to sea.

As he turned a bend, 40-knot winds start gusting so hard it nearly blew him off the board. Twenty-foot breakers hit him from the other side. Kelp was everywhere, slowing his momentum even more.

He pulled into a bay, thinking it would provide shelter, but the wind was blowing so hard that his board was tilted to one side. So he pulled into a cattle estuary and carried his board through a muddy clam field in 6 inches of water.

Finally, at 10:30 p.m. he reached an area with cell reception to call his mom for a pickup, leaving his board behind until he could start again the next day.

The best day of the trip – so far – was near Big Sur, when he noticed a whale spout. Suddenly, seven gray whales were next to him, feeding on krill. Then, dolphins came up and started eating what was left over. After that came the sea lions, who ate what the dolphins didn’t want. Finally, picking at the rest were the sea gulls.

“It was this whole food-chain deal,” Schmidt said. “I was out in the middle, with no one around. I chilled for about 30 minutes; we hung out. … That was an amazing experience.”

When he hit Point Conception, he thought, “Oh, man, I’m home.”

It wasn’t until last week, when he came ashore in Huntington Beach, that he actually was able sleep on his own couch.

Laylan Connelly started as a journalist in 2002 after earning a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. Through the years, she has covered several cities for The Orange County Register, starting as a beat reporter in Irvine before focusing on coastal cities such as Newport Beach, Dana Point and Laguna Beach. In 2007, she was selected for a prestigious Knight New Media fellowship focusing on digital media at the UC Berkley, where she learned skills to adapt to the ever-changing online landscape. Using a web-based approach, she turned her love for the ocean into a full-time gig as the paper’s beaches reporter. The unique beat allows her to delve into coastal culture by covering everything from the countless events dotting the 42 miles of coastline, to the business climate of the surf industry, to the fascinating wildlife that shows up on the shores. Most importantly, she takes pride in telling stories of the people who make the beaches so special, whether they are surfers using the ocean to heal, or the founders of major surf brands who helped spawn an entire culture, or people who tirelessly fight to keep the coast pristine and open for all to enjoy. She’s a world traveler who loves to explore the slopes during winter months or exotic surf spots around the globe. When she’s not working, or maybe while she's researching a story, you can find her longboarding at her favorite surf spots at San Onofre or Doheny.

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